Aircraft theft has long been a problem. Accordingly, a number of inventors have developed various devices designed to prevent unauthorized taking of an aircraft. Some of the devices are simply improved door locks that defeat facile entry into the cockpit. If a thief overcomes the door lock, there are no further obstacles to a successful theft of the aircraft.
Accordingly, most inventors have focused their attention on devices that lock the controls of an aircraft, since, of course, an uncontrollable aircraft cannot be safely flown. U.S Pat. No. 4,299,361 to Webb shows a small plane yoke and column that are locked by a three piece lock. U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,095 to Adamski and 2,343,870 to James also show three piece locking assemblies having horizontal cross bars and vertical rods that are locked in place together to prevent the theft of a motor vehicle or the like.
Although the art is well developed, aircraft continue to be stolen. A need for an effective lock is clearly still extant, but the prior art neither teaches nor suggests how the art could be further developed.